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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. cue — a hint
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. face — part of the head
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com